The United Steaks

Hello? Yep still here. Two months without an update? A crime.

As mentioned on this blog previously, Frank’s Pizza (402.493.0404) is the top of my list for pizza in Omaha. And I made good on that claim by consuming a couple of pies from Franks with my family this evening.

However, if you aren’t in the neighborhood of Franks, which I’m not, there is a worthy competitor with Pudgy’s Pizza (402.884.7566) in Southwest Omaha (168th & Q).

Pudgy’s is a Chicago-style joint, and fairly decent at that, but as a thin-crust guy I have been impressed by their offering. The crust was crisp on the bottom and just right on top. Toppings were layered well and spread evenly. Of the dozen or so pies we’ve had in the last couple of months, every single one was made perfectly. If I had a complaint, once they went a little heavy with garlic powder in the crust, but usually it blends well and adds to this pizza’s charm.

Give ‘em a shot and let them know BeerAndPizza.org sent you.

McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ, a mainstay of the Omaha BBQ scene, seems to have lost its luster - at least in my recent experience.

The BBQ used to be one of the best around, but if my last two visits (in the last three weeks) are any indication, they’ve taken a rapid descent to mediocrity. I’ll spare most of the details in case these were isolated incidents, but an order of ribs were dry and chewy, the usually excellent brisket was cold (as in near-refrigerated cold on one occasion) and bland (on both occasions) and what is the deal with charging 50 cents for a second ‘dipping cup’ worth of BBQ sauce? But the real killer was the absolutely horrible service - 45 minutes to get a brisket sandwich at lunch? To which the manager’s response to my inquiry about the delay in getting served; “sir, obviously you have mistaken us for a fast food restaurant, perhaps next time you should try McDonald’s.”

Any one else with similar experiences recently or is this just me?

Bojangle’s country ham biscuits

When it comes to pizza, I’m a New York -style-thin-crust-guy straight to the core. Unfortunately for me, living in Omaha, NE doesn’t present me with too many choices for authentic New York pizza. Enter Frank’s Pizzeria (132nd & Dodge).

Perfectly charred crust, cheese melted to perfection and perfect dough in the bones.

Brooklyn-born Joe and Bernadette D’Elia and brother-in-law Mike Larsen named their joint after Frank Jacobellis, who taught Joe the business early in life and went on to become his father-in-law.

While it is tough to find authentic NY Pizza anywhere other than NY, Frank’s is definitely the place. Just ask the transplanted New Yorkers who you’ll typically find hanging out there when the Yankees or Mets are on TV.